Gripper

ABSTRACT

A gripper, which comprises: a cylindrical main-body having a valve-rod set inside; and a plurality of gripping-jaws are pivotally set on the bottom of the valve rod which is opposite to the bottom side of the cylindrical main-body; wherein the gripping-jaws can be synchronously folded and expanded when the valve-rod is moved up and down in the cylindrical main-body; wherein each end of the gripping-jaws is pivotally connected with a gripping-piece via an axial-rod, so that the gripping-piece can rotate upwards or downwards using the axial-rod as a fulcrum; wherein a gripping-plane having a slippery-stopping effect is set on the inner side of the gripping-piece.

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gripper, and especially relates to agripper structure applied in a selecting-thing vending machine forgripping a can (bottle) or a container.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The current selecting-thing vending machine (or grabbing-doll machine,grabbing-thing game machine, griping-thing game machine . . . , etc.)has both functions of grabbing entertainment and selling goods.

Whether a young child, a student, a social person, a middle-aged personor the elderly, all of them can grab objects to obtain merchandise. Inaddition, some stores and traders place special merchandise, limitedgoods . . . , in a grabbing-thing game machine for the gainers to grabto increase the value and popularity of the goods, and to promote themarketing activities; therefore, the grabbing-thing game machines arewidely popular with the public and are long-term enduring game andtrafficking patterns.

At present, in order to provide the diversity of the goods and thechallenge of the grabbing, there are vendors who set up the can (bottle)product containing beverage or goods in the selecting-thing vendingmachine for players and buyers to pick up and buy.

However, the surface and packaging of the can (bottle) product aresmooth, and even the body of some can (bottle) product is arced andcurved.

Presently, the terminal end of the gripper for the three jaw typegripper is mostly a form of a tapered cone due to its outer diameter isgradually reduced, even if the gripper has a slippery-stopping portionat its end, it is still difficult to grip the can (bottle) productcontaining beverage or goods, and then lower down the purchase intentionof players and buyers.

On the other hand, the two jaw type gripper is obviously not applicableto the can (bottle) product containing beverage or goods; therefore, howto improve the lacking that the grippers are unable to pick up the can(bottle) product containing beverage or goods is an urgent subject to besolved for the present selecting-thing vending machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioneddefects, and to provide a gripper structure capable of gripping a can(bottle) container.

To achieve the above object, the gripper structure of the presentinvention comprises a cylindrical main-body having a valve-rod setinside; and a plurality of gripping-jaws are pivotally set on the bottomof the valve rod which is opposite to the bottom side of the cylindricalmain-body; wherein the gripping-jaws can be synchronously folded andexpanded when the valve-rod is moved up and down in the cylindricalmain-body; wherein each end of the gripping-jaws is pivotally connectedwith a gripping-piece via an axial-rod, so that the gripping-piece canrotate upwards or downwards using the axial-rod as a fulcrum; wherein agripping-plane having a slippery-stopping effect is set on the innerside of the gripping-piece.

In this way, a gripper structure is provided for gripping a can (bottle)container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the decomposition diagram according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assemble diagram according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another angle according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a side view according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram (1) of gripping a large diameter beveragecan according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram (2) of gripping a large diameter beveragecan according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of gripping a small diameter beverage canaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram (1) of gripping an arc beverage bottleaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram (2) of gripping an arc beverage bottleaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following detailed descriptionprovides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplaryembodiments of the invention. Various changes to the describedembodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elementsdescribed without departing from the scope of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, and utilities of the presentinvention will be best understood from the following detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

With respect to the technical means and the structure used by thepresent invention to achieve the purpose, the embodiments shown in FIG.1 to FIG. 9 are further described. The details are as follows:

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the gripper structure in this embodimentincludes a cylindrical main-body 10 having a valve-rod 11 set inside,and a plurality of gripping-jaws 20 are pivotally set on the bottom ofthe valve rod 11 which is opposite to the bottom side of the cylindricalmain-body 10; wherein the gripping-jaws 20 can be synchronously foldedand expanded when the valve-rod 11 is moved up and down in thecylindrical main-body 10; wherein each end of the gripping-jaws 20 ispivotally connected with a gripping-piece 30 via an axial-rod 21, sothat the gripping-piece 30 can rotate upwards or downwards using theaxial-rod 21 as a fulcrum; wherein a gripping-plane 31 having aslippery-stopping effect is set on the inner side of the gripping-piece30.

Continuously, the gripping-piece 30 is made of a non-slip material(e.g., rubber, silicone) in a preferred embodiment.

Continuously, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment isthat the shape of the gripping-plane 31 is arced and curved.

With the above configuration, the gripping-piece 30 can be freelydeflected upwards or downwards since the gripping-piece 30 uses theaxial-rod 21 as a fulcrum. When the gripping-jaws 20 of the presentinvention starts to be folded and the gripping-piece 30 touches theproduct, the gripping-piece 30 can start to deflect according to the arcof the touched product surface (as shown in FIG. 5). At the same time,the gripping-plane 31 of the gripping-piece 30 can be abutted andclamped on the surface of the product (as shown in FIG. 6) through thecontinuous folding and pressurizing of the gripping-jaws 20. And sincethe gripping-plane 31 of the clamping gripping-piece 30 has aslippery-stopping effect, the product will not fall down when thegripper of the present invention rises and moves, so as to ensure thatthe player and the buyer can obtain the gripped product.

Since the gripping-plane 31 set by the gripping-piece 30 of the presentinvention has the slippery-stopping effect, the present invention can beapplied to gripping a container, a beverage can, a beverage bottle . . ., etc.; when the gripping-piece 30 set at the end of the gripping-jaws20 of the present invention touches the beverage can 40, thegripping-plane 31 of the gripping-piece 30 can be deflected to againstthe can body of the beverage can 40 (as shown in FIG. 6). When thegripping-piece 30 set at the end of the gripping-jaws 20 of the presentinvention grips and holds the beverage can 40A having a smallerdiameter, the gripping-piece 30 can be deflected by the axial-rod 21 ata greater angle; so that the gripping-plane 31 of the gripping-piece 30can be deflected to against the can body of the beverage can 40A havinga smaller diameter (as shown in FIG. 7).

When the gripping-piece 30 set at the end of the gripping-jaws 20 of thepresent invention grips and holds the beverage bottle 50 with an arc,the gripping angle of the gripping-piece 30 set at the end of thegripping-jaws 20 can be deflected according to the arc of the bottlebody; so that the gripping-plane 31 of the gripping-piece 30 can alsoabut to against the bottle body of beverage bottle 50 (as shown in FIG.8). In this way, the drinking bottle with an arc can be smoothlygripped. If the neck of the beverage bottle 50A is relatively slender(such as: marbles, beer . . . , etc.), or due to other factor such asthe bottle shape, the gripping-piece 30 cannot abut to against thebottle body and bottle neck of the beverage bottle 50A; when thegripping-piece 30 is against the bottle body, the gripping-piece 30 canbe deflected by the folding pressure of the gripping-jaws 20 accordingto the arc of the beverage bottle 50A along with the rising of thegripping-jaws 20 since the gripping-piece 30 is deflected using theaxial-rod 21 as a fulcrum. Then when the top end of the gripping-piece30 touches the bottle cap 51, the top end of the gripping-piece 30 canabut to against the bottom edge of the bottle cap 51 (as shown in FIG.9) since the outer diameter of the bottle cap 51 is larger than theouter diameter of the bottle body. In this way, the beverage bottle 50Acan be gripped and positioned, and can be ascended and moved for theplayer and the buyer to obtain the beverage bottle 50A.

From the above description and explanation, it can be seen that thepresent invention has the following advantages:

-   -   1. The gripping-piece 30 of the present invention is pivotally        connected with the end of the gripping-jaws 20 by means of the        axial-rod 21, which can be rotated by using the axial-rod 21 as        a fulcrum. The gripping-piece 30 can be deflected according to        the curve of the bottle body, so as to abut to against the        bottle body; and further to provide for gripping a container and        to arrange to drop.    -   2. When the gripped container, bottle, or can body is relatively        smooth, the gripped container, bottle, or can cannot be slipped        and taken off due to the slippery-stopping effect of the        anti-slip surface 31. In addition to ensuring that the players,        buyers can obtain the goods, but also to maintain the integrity        of the packaging of the goods.    -   3. Because the gripping-piece 30 of the present invention is        pivotally connected with the end of the gripping-jaws 20 by the        axial-rod 21, it can be rotated using the axial-rod 21 as a        fulcrum, which can not only be used to grasp the containers,        bottles, cans of different outer diameters, but also be used to        grasp the containers, bottles, cans of different curves and        arcs; therefore the present invention can really increase the        practicality and application range of the gripper.    -   4. Since the gripping-piece 30 of the present invention is        pivotally connected with the end of the gripping-jaws 20 by the        axial-rod 21, it can be rotated using the axial-rod 21 as a        fulcrum, so that it can abut to against the product to grasp.        Therefore, the structure thereof is simple and cost-effective        and has the convenience of maintenance and replacement.

I claim:
 1. A gripper, which comprises: a cylindrical main-body having avalve-rod set inside; and a plurality of gripping-jaws are pivotally seton the bottom of the valve rod which is opposite to the bottom side ofthe cylindrical main-body; wherein the gripping-jaws can besynchronously folded and expanded when the valve-rod is moved up anddown in the cylindrical main-body; wherein each end of the gripping-jawsis pivotally connected with a gripping-piece via an axial-rod, so thatthe gripping-piece can rotate upwards or downwards using the axial-rodas a fulcrum; wherein a gripping-plane having a slippery-stopping effectis set on the inner side of the gripping-piece.
 2. The gripper accordingto claim 1, wherein the shape of the gripping-plane of thegripping-piece is arced and curved.
 3. The gripper according to claim 1,wherein the gripping-piece is made of a non-slip material.